A brand is how consumers perceive a certain product or service. There is more to a brand than just a name. It is more about consumer's experiences. Building an outstanding brand from scratch can be intimidating if not scary. Most successful brand owners today can attest that it wasn't easy starting out, that they had the option of calling it quits, but they kept going. It takes more than capital to get a brand started. First things first, a brand should speak for itself. A brand should clearly represent what the business is all about and resonate or connect with the target audience the moment they come across it. It is worth noting that there have been some significant trends in the recent years that have both simplified and amplified how businesses are conducted. For example, a brand owner can easily find a mobile sales app to help them with day to day management of sales activities.
When building a brand, it is important to have target consumers and competitors in mind. Target consumers are people expected to buy from the brand. Competitors are other brands offering the same products or services. Talk to people who qualify as target consumers to know what exactly appeals to them. Take a look at the social media pages some of your target consumers follow to have an idea of what clicks for them. Playing the role of a target consumer is also welcome. How? Simply shop online or offline to get the feeling or experience of the target audience. Do the same about competitors. What are their weaknesses and strengths? Learning both will offer a competitive edge against them. That sums up the research stage
Brand identity is the outward image of a brand. It is a culmination of several identifying aspects such as brand logo, name, colors, mission and vision tagline, etc. Brand identity should show the uniqueness of a brand, differentiating it from competitors. When a brand stands out, it becomes memorable. Take giant brands like CocaCola and Apple, whose identities stand out and are easily remembered. Other aspects that contribute to brand identity include a well crafted website, mobile app, customer service, packaging, online advertising, physical office, etc. The employees associated with a brand are also part of its identity.
Generally, brand identity has a lot to do with the visual appeal of a brand, more reason why it should stand out from the rest.
After setting up a brand, it is time to get into work and be consistent while at it. A brand should represent a unifying message in all its aspects to avoid any confusion. It is hard for customers to keep up with a brand that isn't founded on a solid stand, or one that isn't clear about what it stands for. When it comes to marketing, a similar message should cut across all online and offline channels. Also, the use of planning tools like a marketing calendar comes in handy in making sure everyone working behind the brand's promotion schedule is in sync. The frequency of publishing content should show consistency. The colors, fonts and image illustrations should follow suit in order to maintain uniformity.
Growing a brand is a continuous process. It is hard not to incorporate some of the constantly emerging trends to a brand in this era where technology always has it's way. There is always a easier way out with every emerging technology, like is the case with the sales optimization apps that have dominated the sales field. For this reason, brand owners should always open their minds to changes aimed at transforming and simplifying the way of doing things. Also, nowadays most consumers are more inclined to do business with brands that are conscious of the emerging changes and how easily they ge to them. More importantly, staying open to change or inspiration is another way of staying ahead of competition.
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